1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a germ-free liquid dispenser for conveniently dispensing liquid such as mineral water or natural water reserved in the dispenser, and more particularly a liquid dispenser of the above type including a liquid container having a liquid outlet opening, a reservoir for receiving and reserving the liquid from the container, a holder means for detachably holding the liquid container at its supply posture for orienting its outlet opening downward to allow the liquid within the container to flow down through the opening into the reservoir, and a dispensing means for dispensing the liquid from the reservoir by allowing the liquid to flow down from the reservoir.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the liquid dispenser of the above-described type, the liquid is supplied from the liquid container held at the supply posture into the reservoir. This causes the level of the liquid inside the reservoir to rise thereby to allow the outlet opening of the liquid container to submerge in the level of the liquid reserved within the reservoir, thus liquid-sealing the outlet opening. Then, in this liquid-sealed condition, a pressure inside the container urging the liquid therein to flow downward comes into equilibrium with the atmospheric pressure acting on the surface of the liquid inside the reservoir, thereby to automatically inhibit further supply of the liquid from the container to the reservoir. When a portion of the liquid is dispensed from the reservoir, the liquid level inside this reservoir drops below the level of the outlet opening of the container. This breaks the above-described liquid-sealed condition under the equilibrium and allows air to enter through the outlet opening into the container. As a result, the pressure inside the liquid container increases to start supply of further liquid from the container into the reservoir.
The filling operation of the liquid into the liquid container is done in a sanitary manner at a factory under a strict quality control. Therefore, even if the liquid comprises mineral water or natural water which per se contains no germicide such as free chlorine therein, the germ-free condition of this liquid may be maintained as long as the liquid stays filled and sealed within the liquid container. However, after the liquid is removed from the container and reserved in the reservoir, rapid germ propagation occurs to due the contact of the liquid with the ambience air, since the liquid per se contains no germicide. Due to such germ propagation, there occur such inconveniences as muddiness of the liquid and deterioration of the taste of the liquid attributable to metabolite of the germ. And, of course, such germ propagation is undesirable from the hygienic point of view.
In order to restrict such undesirable germ propagation, the prior art has suggested charging germicide into the liquid, periodical flushing of the reservoir with hot water, or total draining and drying of the reservoir.
However, these conventional methods have presented new problems as follow.
In the case of the use of germicide, the germ propagation can be effectively prevented. Yet, this is done only at the expense of deterioration in the taste of the liquid.
In the case of the flushing method, substantially germ-free condition may be achieved immediately after the flushing operation. Yet, germ propagation inevitably occurs with lapse of time. Thus, in order to assure a satisfactorily safe liquid dispensing service, the flushing operation needs to be done before the propagation has developed significantly, which means that the operation is frequently needed. This is very troublesome and inefficient. Moreover, in order to flush the reservoir, any liquid remaining therein must be wastefully disposed of. Thus, this method suffers economical disadvantage as well.
The drying method is as troublesome as the flushing methods. Also, as again requiring the wasteful disposal of the remaining liquid, this method is uneconomical as well, if the liquid is expensive.
Taking the above-described state of the art into consideration, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an economical and convenient germ-free liquid dispenser which can dispense germ-free liquid without the necessity of wasteful disposal of the remaining liquid.